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Wednesday, October 12, 2022

Repost: Vhong Navarro Refuses to Enter Plea in Rape Case

Image courtesy of www.mb.com.ph

Source: www.mb.com.ph

Television host and comedian Ferdinand “Vhong” Navarro refused to enter any plea in the rape case filed by model Deniece Cornejo.

Navarro was arraigned on Oct. 11 at the Taguig Regional Trial Court Branch 69, which is handling his rape case.

He did not appear personally but was arraigned through videoconferencing, an arrangement that was approved by the court based on Supreme Court rules.

Alma Mallonga, the TV host’s lawyer, said Navarro did not enter any plea during the arraignment. As a result, the court entered a not guilty plea on his behalf.

“He did not plea mainly because … for legal considerations. Because, briefly, we have a pending petition before the Supreme Court. That is the reason,” said Mallonga.

She added, “It’s just that for the reasons stated in our petition for review, which I will not discuss, we thought it more prudent to not to allow Mr. Vhong Navarro to enter a plea. Under the rules, therefore, the court entered a plea of not guilty for him.”

On the other hand, the court did not allow Cornejo to attend the arraignment via videoconferencing. She also failed to show up in person.

Navarro is currently detained at the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Detention Center in Manila. The Taguig RTC Branch 69 issued a non-bailable warrant of arrest against Navarro for the rape case on Sept. 19.

The Taguig City Prosecutor’s Office filed the rape case against the TV host, stating that on Jan. 17, 2014, Navarro “through force, threat and intimidation, and by purposely intoxicating the victim, did willfully, unlawfully and feloniously have carnal knowledge with one Deniece Millinete Cornejo.”

Navarro is facing cases for rape and acts of acts of lasciviousness before two Taguig courts.

On Sept. 19, Navarro surrendered to the NBI regarding a warrant of arrest issued by the Taguig Metropolitan Trial Court Branch 116 for the case of acts of lasciviousness, which allegedly happened on Jan. 22, 2014. Navarro’s bail was set at P36,000.

However, on the afternoon of the same day, the Taguig RTC Branch 69 issued a warrant of arrest without bail for rape against Navarro.

The filing of rape and acts of lasciviousness cases against Navarro was ordered by the Court of Appeals (CA).

In a decision promulgated last July 21, the CA ruled in favor of Cornejo’s petition regarding the cases.

The CA ordered the Taguig City Prosecutor’s Office “to file the Information against Ferdinand “Vhong” H. Navarro for: (1) Rape by Sexual Intercourse under Article 266-A (1) of the Revised Penal Code, as amended by Republic Act No. 8353; and (2) Acts of Lasciviousness under Article 336 of the Revised Penal Code.”

“Ultimately, it falls upon the trial court to determine who between Navarro and Cornejo speaks the truth,” the CA stated in the decision.

The CA said that “it was erroneous for the DOJ [Department of Justice] to deny Cornejo’s petition for review on the ground that her statements in the complaint-affidavits are inconsistent and incredible.”

The appeals court said that “issues of credibility should be adjudged during the trial proper.”

Navarro requested the court for his continued detention at the NBI but was denied.

In a decision dated Sept. 29, the Taguig RTC Branch 69 ruled that “after a thorough consideration of the arguments of both the prosecution and the defense, the Court finds that accused [Navarro] was not able to justify the need for his continued detention at the NBI facility.”

The Taguig court stated that “it must also be emphasized that the city jail is mandated to exercise great care so that the human rights of the prisoners are respected and protected. Thus, in the absence of any evidence to the contrary, the presumption of regularity in the performance of duties by the jail personnel prevails.”

“Wherefore, premises considered, the Urgent Motion for the National Bureau of Investigation to Retain Custody Over the Person of the Accused is hereby denied for lack of merit,” the court ruled.

The decision paved the way for Navarro to be transferred to the Taguig City Jail.

22 comments:

  1. If hindi naman talaga niya ginawa then dapat wag sya mag enter ng plea

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    Replies
    1. not guilty should be

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    2. the please should either be guilty or not guilty.

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    3. Yung iba naman kahit ginawa "not guilty" pa rin ang plea. Bihira yata ang nagpi-plead ng "guilty." May iba na nagpi-plead ng "guilty" para gumaan ang sentensya.

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  2. so nasa taguig city jail na ba sya? or NBI detention pa din? Kasi if nasa NBI pa din, nakakaloka lang na porket mayaman ei wala sa kulungan

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  3. Branch 69 pa nyahaha Nice!

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    Replies
    1. You did not just go there lol ;)))

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    2. Hahaha what coincidence

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  4. kung di guilty edi dapat NOT GUILTY plea, ano nman drama ng kampo nya? Anyway, sino ung sa TV patrol kagabi suggesting na magkaaregulahn na lang sila ni Deniece? sa kampo ba ni Deniece un? Nakikinig kng kasi ako sa TV while may ginagawa sa kusina kagabi.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Lolo ni Deniece. Nag suggest sya na dapat mag areglo na lang ang dalawang kampo kasi nakikinabang lang naman ang mga abogado nila.

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  5. Grabe Ang consequence Ng cheating ni Vhong. Though he may have regretted and apologized for it s gf nya. Meron at meron p dn tlga kabayaran Ang nga choices ntn in life.

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    Replies
    1. Feeling pogi kasi. Yabang

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    2. Pero kasagsagan nun di naman sya iniwan ni girl and kinampihan pa sya. Wala din self respect. Yung bf mo iiwanan ka for other girl kung di pa nabugbog

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    3. Totoo! Eto din naisip ko all the while niloloko na pala nya si gf kawawa naman. Buti na lang mabait si gf di sya iniwan. Pero parang cover na lang nung lalake na pinakasalan si wifey. Kasi sa tagal nila nung nabugbog lang sya after nun biglang nagpropose.

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  6. It's a "no contest" plea .. I guess walang ganyan dito sa pinas

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  7. Explaining this in layman's terms.

    Outside of this rape case and separate from the issue of its merits, Vhong's camp is also questioning the finding of probable cause to charge and try him for Rape. In short, he is questioning the validity of the rape case, insisting there should have been no such proceeding against him to begin with. His entering a plea, whether guilty or not, could be legally interpreted as his acknowledgement that the rape case is valid. He refused to enter a plea to be consistent with his position that it is invalid.

    --a Lawyer but of neither party

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ohhhhh thanks for the explanation haha

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    2. Thank you for explaining this

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